Ingabe Bewazi?
Laliyini i-altare ‘LikaNkulunkulu Ongaziwa’ umphostoli uPawulu alibona e-Athene?—IzEnzo 17:23.
▪ Iningi lababhali basendulo abangamaGreki lakhuluma ngama-altare anjalo. Ngokwesibonelo, uPausanias, oyisazi-mlando nesazi sokuma komhlaba sangekhulu lesibili C.E., wathi e-Olympia ‘kwakune-altare lonkulunkulu Abangaziwa.’ Kanti uPhilostratus owayeyiciko lokukhuluma nesazi sefilosofi, wathi e-Athene “kwakwakhiwe ama-altare ukuze kudunyiswe ngisho nonkulunkulu abangaziwa.”
UDiogenes Laertius, umbhali wangekhulu lesithathu C.E., ulandisa ngesiko elichaza umsuka “wama-altare angenamagama.” Le ndaba eyaqala ngekhulu lesithupha noma lesikhombisa B.C.E., ichaza indlela u-Epimenides aqeda ngayo ubhubhane lwezifo e-Athene. UDiogenes uyabhala: “[U-Epimenides] wathatha izimvu . . . waziletha e-Areyophagu; wafike wazidedela zaya nomaphi lapho zithanda khona, wayesetshela ababezilandela ngemuva ukuba babeke uphawu lapho imvu ngayinye ifike yalala khona, bese benza umhlatshelo kunkulunkulu wendawo. Kubikwa ukuthi lwaqedwa kanjalo-ke ubhubhane. Yingakho ngisho nanamuhla esatholakala ama-altare angabhalwe magama ezindaweni eziningi ze-Attica.”
Kungenzeka nokuthi esinye isizathu sokwakhiwa kwama-altare onkulunkulu abangaziwa ngokusho kwe-Anchor Bible Dictionary, “ukwesaba ukuthi ukungakunaki ukukhulekela unkulunkulu noma unkulunkulukazi ongaziwa kwakungase kukulahlekisele ngezibusiso zalowo nkulunkulu noma kumcunule.”
Kungani amaJuda ekhulu lokuqala ayebenyanya abathelisi?
▪ Abathelisi abakaze bathandwe. Kwa-Israyeli wangekhulu lokuqala babebhekwa njengabantu abanengekayo nezikhohlakali zokuqala nezokugcina.
Iziphathimandla zaseRoma zazikhokhisa abantu ngodlí izintela ezimba eqolo. Izikhulu zaseRoma zaziqoqa intela yomhlaba neyekhanda noma eyomuntu ngamunye, kodwa umsebenzi wokuqoqa intela yezimpahla eziphumayo nezingenayo nezazidlula ziye kwezinye izindawo wawunikwa umuntu owayezimisele ukukhokha kakhulu kunabanye. Ngakho osomabhizinisi bendawo babethenga amalungelo okuqoqa intela ezindaweni ezithile. Njengoba babethanda ukusebenzela amaRoma ayezondwa, labo bantu babezondwa kakhulu ngamaJuda akubo. I-Cyclopædia kaM’Clintock noStrong ithi, babebhekwa ‘njengamambuka nezihlubuki, abantu abangcoliswe ukuzihlanganisa namaqaba.’
Abathelisi babaziwa ngokungathembeki futhi babethatha izimali zamaJuda akubo bazicebise ngazo. Abanye babekhulisa amanani ezimpahla okwakumelwe zikhokhelwe intela, bese bezidlela inzuzo, kanti abanye babemangalela abampofu ngamanga ukuze babaphambe imali. (Luka 3:13; 19:8) Ngenxa yalokho, abathelisi babebhekwa ngendlela efanayo nezoni futhi i-Jewish Encyclopedia ithi ‘babengakufanelekeli ukuba abahluleli ngisho nawofakazi.’—Mathewu 9:10, 11.
[Isithombe ekhasini 18]
I-altare likaNkulunkulu ongaziwa, emanxiweni asePhergamu, eTurkey
[Isithombe ekhasini 18]
Umdwebo oqoshiwe waseRoma obonisa umthelisi ngekhulu lesibili noma lesithathu C.E.
[Umthombo]
Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY